Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed that newly-recruited batting coach Julian Wood and bowling consultant Rene Ferdinands will share duties with long-serving pair Thilina Kandamby and Piyal Wijetunge on a tour-by-tour basis, rather than replacing them outright.
“All these coaches, they are not being specified to say that they would be working with the national team,” SLC chief executive Ashley de Silva explained. “They work as the national coaches, but that does not mean they should work [solely] with the [men’s] national team.”
Key points
• Four specialist coaches now sit in a single pool, answering to the High-Performance Centre.
• Selection for any given tour will be made by SLC’s executive committee.
• Next assignment is a three-match ODI series in Pakistan in November, followed by a T20I tri-series also involving Zimbabwe.
Why the change?
SLC has flirted with specialist consultants in the past, but this is the first time it has formalised a rotation policy. The model is unusual internationally, although South Africa do something similar with their academy leads.
Wood impressed players – men and women – during a week-long “power-hitting programme” earlier this year and has since signed a 12-month deal. Ferdinands, known for his biomechanics work with New Zealand Cricket and the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy, arrives on a parallel contract.
Kandamby (batting coach since December 2023) and Wijetunge (spin coach since 2006) remain on SLC payroll. Both came under pressure after July’s 2-1 T20I defeat to Bangladesh, yet de Silva was at pains to stress they are still valued.
“They work in the organisation, [it is] not that their contracts have been terminated,” he said. “It doesn’t matter wherever they have been assigned; they should be prepared to work.”
How will it work in practice?
The simplest explanation is that the head coach and core support staff stay constant, while the four specialists rotate depending on conditions, workloads and budget. De Silva put it bluntly: “Depending on the tours, we, the ExCo will decide who should go on tour.”
That could mean Wood travels to Pakistan if SLC feel the batters need another voice against pace, or Ferdinands is drafted for the tri-series to run biomechanics checks. Equally, Kandamby and Wijetunge may retain their regular spots if continuity is deemed more important. No final decision has been made for November.
Risks and rewards
A rotating cast can inject fresh ideas and prevent stagnation – something players often welcome. It may also ease strain on individual coaches during a crowded Future Tours Programme. The flip side is potential mixed messaging: too many philosophies can confuse players unless communication is tight.
Former national quick Chaminda Vaas has previously warned that “too many cooks” can dilute accountability, while others argue variety is healthy as long as roles are clear. SLC hopes the High-Performance Centre will provide that clarity.
What next?
Sri Lanka’s ODI squad for Pakistan is expected in early November. The board has not ruled out using all four coaches during preparatory camps in Colombo and Dambulla before trimming the travelling party.
Revolving door or smart resource sharing? We will get a first glimpse when the team lands in Karachi. For now, the message from Maitland Place is simple: more hands on deck, but no one edged out.
